Generators and electronics

[westom1]

Good reason why so many use Honda generators; not some discount generator attached to a Briggs & Stratton engine.

Surge protectors are for single events that occur typically once every seven years. Repeated 'surges' means protector failure and no appliance protection.

Computer grade UPSes output electricity so dirty (and constantly) that manufacturers quietly recommend no surge protectors on a UPS output. Just another example of why the surge protector question is an obvious "No solution".

What does a UPS do? It typically connects AC electric directly to appliances when not in battery backup mode. Instead, many assume a UPS magically 'cleans' electricity. Well the 'cleanest' electricity comes directly from AC mains - when UPS is not in battery backup mode. 'Dirtiest' electricity (and why a surge protector should not be connected) occurs when UPS battery provides power.

Solution starts and ends with that generator.

Read numbers provided with a laptop. What voltages must a laptop work at? Any voltage from 90 to 260 volts. What happens when a 120 volt generator outputs 150 volts? If may harm a refrigerator or DVD/ VCR. But it must not harm the laptop. Others feared damage because they did not first read the numbers. Laptop would be more robust than the refrigerator.

What does each appliance manufacture list for voltage variation? Always first get numbers. Just more reasons why some generators (ie Honda) cost a little more money (as well as operate so much longer on same fuel when loads are constantly changing).

[Bubba]

There you go again ransley. Tossing out numbers from your ass.

4 or 5v? You get that out of the air after you smoked a joint with your sister in your trailer? Im going to go get my shovel because the shit you are slinging is getting deep in here. Bubba

[ransley]

Hey Bubba. Mr Moron, Mr dont know nada, I have 2 gens I have tested many Mr Moron, I know gens and how they perform.

[Bubba]

....always talking but never anything to back it up. Make up some more shit ransley. By the way, your breath smells like dick. Bubba

[Twayne]

Unless you've found some real old piece of crap, generators put out power to the same voltgae/freq specs the grid uses. Other things about them can bother electronic equipment, but not those fluctuations unless the genset if being overloaded.

[Twayne]

That's bass ackwards, but in my case I've run my computer on the genset via my UPS with no problem. I know it's not advised, however, to run them directly. I've looked at the output of mine with a scope and it's actually a very good sinusoidal output with no spikes/surges on it. House-born surges however tended to be higher than normal, probably because of the last of the grid xfmr and split phase connection. Not sure I'd do it without a UPS though without knowing a lot more about the output specs than they normally give.